All A Dream
by Greaserfreak
Summary: What if Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally never made it out of the burning church? What if all the events in the fire were just a dream to keep them alive?
1. Waiting and Hoping

Soda's POV

It had been a week since Ponyboy had run off after Darry had hit him. A whole week. Only Dally knew where he was and he kept his trap shut good. There was no way he would tell where Pony and Johnny were. Not since it could get them in trouble since Johnny killed that soc.

I had cried every night. Not only had Pony disappeared, but Sandy, my girlfriend moved to Florida. I had wanted to marry her, but she didn't feel the same way. The week hadn't been easy for me.

Of course, Darry was taking it really hard. He didn't mean to hit Ponyboy. And every little sound caused him to jump up out of his chair in hopes that it was Pony returning home.

"Are you hungry Soda?" Darry asked me.

I shook my head. "No, not really."

"Me neither." Darry said.

All we did was wait and wonder where Pony was. Neither of us ate or slept much. Wewere too worried about our brother. Hoping that he would return home and things would all be okay.

I sighed and started to lay down on the couch to take a nap, but someone knocked on the door, and I sat back up hoping that it was Ponyboy.

Darry's POV

I answered the door, praying that to see Ponyboy on the other side. I wanted to hug him and tell him how sorry I was for hitting him. But, Ponyboy wasn't there. Instead, it was a cop, looking very grim.

"Are you Darrel Curtis Jr. ?" He asked

"Yes, sir." I replied.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet, showing me a picture inside of it. "Is this your brother?"

It was Pony's picture. And it was his wallet. I knew because Soda and I each had wallets just like it. They had been a gift from our father for Christmas. And the picture was Pony's school picture. I remembered how we had argued on whether or not he could grease his hair that day. For some reason, I wished that I could relive that moment.

"Yes, that's my brother. Why, is everything alright?" I asked as I felt my heart beating faster.

The cop shook his head. "There was a fire in a church up in Windrixville. Your brother and another young man ran in and got some kids out of the building. The kids are all scared, but safe."

"And my brother and friends?" I interrupted getting a lump in my throat. Somehow, I knew what was coming.

The cop placed a hand on my shoulder. "A third young man went in after your brother and the other one. But, the roof collapsed before any of them could get out. By the time the fire department got to them, it was too late. I'm sorry."

"No." I whispered.

"We need you to come to the hospital to identify the body." The cop said carefully.

I nodded and turned towards Soda who was sitting on the couch looking like someone had slapped him. He looked at me with tear filled eyes, then got up and ran to the room he and Pony shared, slamming the door behind him.

"I guess I should follow you, huh?" I asked looking back at the cop.

The cop nodded somberly and we left for the hospital. The entire way there, as I drove my truck, I hoped that it wasn't Ponyboy. That it was really someone else and not my brother.

Soda's POV

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I didn't want to believe what I had just heard. After all, didn't Dally say that Pony and Johnny took off for Texas? There had to be some sort of mistake.

Standing in the room I shared with Pony, I looked at his stuff. Everything was exactly where he had left it. Then, I sat down at his desk and looked outside. The sun was setting, causing the sky to become orange, violet and pink. Pony always loved watching sunsets.

As I watched this sunset, I started to sob, "Please, don't be Ponyboy! Let it be anyone but Ponyboy! He's too young to die!"


	2. No Longer With Us

Darry's POV

When I arrived at the hospital, I was led to a room where I found myself looking at a gurnee with a white sheet covering a body.

The cop looked at me. "Are you ready?"

'No.' I thought. 'I'll never be ready for this.' But, I swallowed hard and nodded.

Carefully, the cop pulled the sheet down, confirming my worst fear. Laying there, covered in ash from the fire, was my youngest brother, Ponyboy.

"Yes, that's him." I told the cop.

"Alright." The cop said with a nod. He started to pull the sheet back up, but I stopped him.

"Can I have some time alone?" I asked.

"Sure, take all the time you need." The cop said as he left the room. "I'll be right outside these doors."

After the cop left, I allowed myself to cry. At first, I just stroked Pony's hair which looked like it had been bleached and cried silently. Then, I started sobbing uncontrollably, laying my head on his still chest. It hadn't been a year since our parents had died and now I had to go through it again. I had to say good-bye to someone else whom I loved.

"Oh, Pony." I choked. "I am so sorry I hit you. I didn't mean it. I wish I could take it back. I wish I could take that whole night back."

I sobbed some more.

"I hear you saved some kids in the fire." I told my unmoving brother. "I'm really proud of you, kiddo. Soda is too. Both of us always knew there was some good in you. A type of goodness most greasers don't carry."

I took a deep breath and sighed. Ponyboy looked so young laying there. He was only fourteen but looked younger. Like a child who had his whole life ahead of him but now it was gone. He would never see his dreams come true. He would never find out what it's like to really live.

"Pony, I wish this wasn't you. I wish it were someone else. You had so much to live for. A whole lifetime ahead of you." I said tearfully. "It was hard enough losing mom and dad. I don't want to lose you too, little buddy."

I stood there for a few more minutes, staring at my youngest brother. Then, I carefully pulled the sheet back over him and walked out of the room, knowing that in a few days, I would see Pony for the last time before he'd be buried next to our parents.

Soda's POV

It was almost midnight before Darry returned. I was still in the bedroom, staring into space, when Darry slowly opened the door. In silence, he sat next to me on the bed and put his arm around my shoulders.

"Please, tell me it wasn't Pony." I pleaded. "Tell me it was someone who just looks like Pony."

Darry sighed and pulled me close to him. "I wish I could, Soda. I wish it were someone else. But Soda, it was Pony. It really was him."

"No!" I cried. "Darry, please, say it ain't so! Tell me you're lying!"

"It's no lie, little buddy. Pony is gone. He's never coming back." Darry said, his voice cracking as he started to sob.

I started to bawl like a baby. "No, it can't be. Not Pony. Why can't it be anyone but Pony?"

Darry just sobbed and held me tight. Not that it mattered because I was holding on to him just as tightly. It was almost as if we were afraid that we'd lose each other if we let go. We remained that way for a long time, just hugging and sobbing.

After a while, we let go of each other. Darry sighed and looked at me. "We'll let Steve and Two-Bit know in the morning."

I nodded and stared at my hands.

"I think I'll stay in here tonight." Darry told me.

"Okay." I whispered.

Darry put his arm around my shoulders again. "Hey, we've still got each other."

I felt a fresh wave of tears flow down my face.

"Yes." I choked "But, part of us is gone and I don't want it to be. Darry, it isn't right! Pony should be here. It's not fair! Why did it have to be him?"

I don't know little buddy, I just don't know." Darry said softly as I cried myself to sleep in his arms.


	3. Remembering How To Cry

Steve's POV

Two-Bit and I arrived at the Curtis house Saturday morning. It was quiet, except for the sound of the shower running. Soon, the sound of the television followed, thanks to Two-Bit. I sat down on the couch and watched Mickey Mouse while I waited for Darry and Soda so I could go to work.

It wasn't long before the shower stopped and Soda emerged from the bathroom. He yelled out to Darry, "Have you seen my DX shirt?"

I went up to him. "You need pants, too. I hear there's a law or something."

Darry came up behind us and said, "I ironed. They're in my closet." Before heading to the kitchen to fix breakfast.

I followed Soda to Darry's room, then, to his room. As he got dressed, I talked about that night's rumble with the socs. "We're going to win! I just know it. Hey, we should throw a party after we win. You know, really celebrate!"

"I'm not fighting in the rumble." Soda mumbled.

"What?" I gasped. "You've been looking forward to this all week. You wanted to get back at the socs for attacking Pony and Johnny."

Soda just turned away from me. It was then that I saw that his shoulders were shaking. He was crying.

I laid my hand on his shoulder. "Soda? What's wrong?"

"He's gone, Steve." Soda cried. "They're all gone."

"Well, yeah. They ran off. We already know that." I told him.

"No Steve, they're gone. As in dead." Soda said.

"What?" I asked. I wasn't sure I had heard him right.

"There was a fire at some church. They ran in and got some kids out. But, the roof collapsed before they could get out themselves." Soda explained.

"Are you sure?" I asked him. "Dally said that Pony and Johnny went to Texas."

"Darry went to the hospital to identify Pony's body. He said it was him." Soda said, his voice breaking as he broke into uncontrollable sobs.

I thought about Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally. I couldn't believe what Soda had just told me. But, Soda wasn't one to lie to me. Not about something like that. Soon, I was crying, too. Usually, greasers don't cry. But this was an exception to the rule. It was going to be hard getting along without the three of them. I could feel the emptiness in the gang already, even though it was just me and Soda in the room.

Two-Bit's POV

I helped myself to a slice of chocolate cake as I watched Darry fix breakfast for him and Soda. Things had been rough that week for them. Both were worried sick about Ponyboy and I wanted to go to Texas to search for the kid and Johnny. But, the others wouldn't let me.

"Still no word on Pony and Johnny?" I asked.

Darry looked at me. A sad look on his face.

"Sorry Darry." I mumbled.

Darry sighed. "No, it's okay. We did get news on them."

"Really!" I exclaimed. "That's great!"

"No, it's not." Darry said softly as he filled a plate with scrambled eggs for Soda and set a jar of grape jelly next to it.

"What are you talking about?" I asked with my mouth full of cake.

"Two-Bit, a cop came over last night with bad news. Pony, Johnny, and Dally were all killed in a church fire yesterday while rescuing some kids." Darry told me.

I nearly choked on my cake. "What?"

"I went to the hospital to identify Pony's body. It was him. It was really him." Darry went on, tears streaming down his face.

"Glory, he's just a kid!" I whispered. "He's not old enough to die."

Darry just gave me a sad look.

"I guess you heard too?" Steve asked as he and Soda came into the kitchen. They had their arms around each other's shoulders and I could tell that both had been crying.

"Yeah." I said as I felt tears come to my own eyes. I pounded my fist on the counter. "Darn it! Why did it have to be them? Why did they have to die?"

Then, I crumpled to the floor and cried for the first time in ages. Most people assumed that I had forgotten how to cry. But at that moment, I remembered how.

Steve joined me while Soda went over to Darry. All of us were bawling. Suddenly, that night's rumble didn't seem so important. Not with Pony, Johnny and Dally being dead.

"I'm not fighting in the rumble." I choked as soon as my tears had subsided.

"Neither am I." Soda admitted.

Darry looked over at Steve. "What about you, Steve?"

"Darry, it's up to you. They attacked Pony and Johnny. If they hadn't, Pony and Johnny would still be here. If you still want to fight, I'll go with you." Steve answered quietly.

Darry grinned sadly. "Thanks Steve. I'll let you know what I decide tonight."

Steve nodded as he stood up. I stood up too and watched as Darry, Soda, and Steve all left for work.Then, I went to the room that Soda had shared with Ponyboy, sat down on the bed, buried my head in my hands and cried again.


	4. Deciding To Fight

Darry's POV

Somehow, I managed to get through work with out breaking down in tears. During my lunch break, I started to make the funeral arrangements and called Soda at the DX station.

"Hey Soda, how are you holding up little buddy?" I asked as soon as he answered the phone.

"Darry, I miss Pony so much!" Soda answered. I could tell he was trying not to cry.

"I know. I miss him, too." I told him.

"Steve thinks I should go home." Soda said. "But, we can't afford it."

"Soda, if you want, you can go home. Just make sure it's okay with your boss, okay?" I replied. "There's no sense in you working if you're too upset to concentrate."

"Okay." Soda sighed.

"If you do go home, could you lay out some of Pony's clothes so I can take them to the funeral home?" I asked.

"Darry, I don't think I can!" Soda cried.

"Well, okay. I'll see you later." I said looking at my watch. My lunch break was almost over.

"Bye Darry." Soda sniffled as he hung up. I felt a few tears roll down my own face, but brushed them away. There was no way I was going to cry on the job. Besides as the day went on, my sadness turned to anger. All I could think about was if the socs had left Ponyboy and Johnny alone, then they would still be here. The more I thought about it, the more angry I got. By the time I got off work, I had made my decision concerning the rumble. I was still going to fight and I hoped Steve was still willing to fight with me because I needed the support.

Steve's POV

I went to the Curtis's after work to find Soda staring at Pony's book collection. The kid had read constantly. Even read some of Darry's book which had been beyond his age level.

"Hey." I said as I sat down on the bed.

"Pony loved reading." Soda said softly.

"I know." I told him.

"Darry went to the funeral home with some of Pony's clothes." Soda whispered. "I had him bring some hair grease, too. Pony would want his hair greased. He was proud of being a greaser and he'd want people to know it."

The last few words were tearful as Soda began to cry. He was really taking this hard. I had managed to help him get our boss's permission to go home early. Usually, we can't go home early on Saturdays, but after explaining the situation, our boss let him go home and said Soda didn't have to come back to work until after the funeral.

"Is this what you have been doing since you left work?" I asked. "Stared at Pony's books?"

"No, I looked through some of his drawings, too. He drew one of you. You can have it if you want. I also watched Darry pick out the clothes for the funeral home." Soda said as he turned to look at me. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. The smile that was usually plastered across his face was replaced with the saddest frown I have ever seen. The Soda I was used to was now a Soda full of grief and it hurt me to see him like that.

"Soda!" Both of us turned to the sound of Darry's voice. Soda slowly walked out of the bedroom and I followed him, wondering if Darry had decided to stay in the rumble or not.

Darry's POV

When Soda came out of the bedroom, I almost gasped. I knew he was upset but being so used to him smiling all the time, I wasn't prepared for the frown on his face. And I had only been gone an hour. As soon as I saw him, I threw my arms around him.

"Hey, we'll get through this!" I told him.

Soda just sobbed.

I noticed Steve as he walked to the couch and sat down. He looked slightly uncomfortable. Like he wasn't sure of what he was supposed to do.

"Hey Steve?" I glanced over at him as I continued to hold Soda who was getting my shirt wet with his tears.

"Yeah?" Steve looked up at me.

"I decided to still fight in the rumble." I told him. "Do you still want to go?"

Steve grinned a little. "I was hoping you'd say that."

I nodded slightly. It would be another hour and a half before Steve and I had to be at the rumble. I managed to get Soda to the kitchen to eat some dinner while I got ready for the rumble. I was looking forward to releasing my frustration at the rumble by getting my hands on the socs. After all, if they had left Pony alone, he wouldn't have died in that fire."


	5. Can't Bring Pony Back

Steve's POV

Darry and I arrived at the vacant lot a few minutes before seven. Tim Shepherd's gang and the Brumly gang were already there waiting. We all greeted each other Then waited for the socs to arrive.

Darry pulled me aside. "Try to stick close to me Steve."

"Alright." I told him as Tim came up to us.

"So, where's the rest of the gang?" Tim asked.

Darry quickly explained what had happened. By the time he finished, the socs started to arrive, lining up across from where us greasers stood.

"Darry, I was going to ask you to start things off," Tim was saying "but if you want, I will."

"No, I'll start." Darry told him. "For Pony and Johnny, I'll get things going. These socs will pay for what they've done."

"Alright." Tim nodded as Darry stepped forward and stood under the light from the street lamp.

"I'll take on anyone." Darry said. It was then that I saw the anger in his eyes. He knew that it was because of the socs that Pony and Johnny ran away in the first place. Now, Darry wanted to get even. And as I thought about the past several months, I didn't blame him. I wanted to get even too.

Darry's POV

I stood in the circle of light, waiting for one of the socs to step forward. Fortunately, it didn't take long.

"Hello, Darrel." It was my old childhood friend, Paul.

"Hello Paul." I replied glaring at him. We may have been friends when we were younger, but not anymore.

"I'll take you." Paul told me.

I nodded and we started circling each other. At one point I made the mistake of glancing over at Steve and Paul punched me in the jaw. The rumble was on. Paul and I fought while Steve jumped on some other soc. Soon, we were all fighting anyone we could get our hands on. I don't know how long the rumble was but it seemed to end pretty quick. The adrenaline you get during a rumble makes time go by fast. And before I knew it, the socs were limping away to their cars. We had won. For once we had gotten even with the socs. Or as even as we could since nothing we could do would bring Ponyboy back.

After watching the socs leave, I looked around for Steve. I found him laying on the ground, doubled over in pain. As I went to check on him, I noticed Tim working one of his men over for using a pipe. The rumble was supposed to have no weapons. But I was more concerned about Steve.

"Steve?" I asked dropping down next to him. "Are you alright?"

"I think I cracked a few ribs." Steve admitted, wincing from the pain.

"Come on." I said, helping him up. "You can stay at our place tonight."

Steve leaned against me as we slowly walked back to the house. At one point he asked, "You really hate the socs, don't you?"

I sighed. "Well, if it weren't for them, Pony and Johnny would still be here. I hate it that they jump greasers for fun. I hate that I'll never see Pony again because they had to jump him and Johnny. And you've seen Soda today. If it weren't for the socs, Soda wouldn't be the mess that he is. So yeah Steve, I hate the socs."

Steve's POV

I understood what Darry meant when he explained why he hated the socs. And I felt the same way. Sure, Pony and I didn't always get along, but he was a good kid. He didn't deserve to be jumped. And he didn't deserve to die at such a young age. Neither did Johnny.

Soda and Two-Bit were waiting for us when we got back to the house. As soon as we were inside, I practically fell on the couch. Almost landing on Soda, but he moved out of the way just in time.

"So, how did it go?" Two-Bit asked.

"We won." Darry said as he came out of the bathroom with an ace bandage. "Here Steve, wrap this around yourself. Soda, you can help him."

"I cracked some ribs." I told Soda.

Soda just looked at me with a blank stare.

"He's been like that since you two left." Two-Bit said. "Only moved once to use the bathroom."

I finished wrapping the bandage around my chest and put my hand on Soda's shoulder. "Hey buddy, it'll be okay."

"No it won't. Sure, we won the rumble. But that won't bring Pony back. He should have been here. It was bad enough losing mom and dad. I don't want to lose Pony too. It's just not fair!" Soda cried.

Darry sat on Soda's other side and also put his hand on Soda's shoulder. "Come on little buddy. Pony wouldn't want you to be upset. He'd want you to be the happy go lucky Soda we all know and love. He'd want you to smile."

Soda started to sob after the last comment Darry made. "I know Pony would want that. But what about me? I don't want to say good-bye to Pony. I want him to be alive. I want him to come back!"

I looked helplessly at Two-Bit while Darry whispered, "Me too, little buddy, me too."


	6. Tuesday Morning

I woke up Tuesday morning with a knot in my stomach. Ponyboy's funeral would be that afternoon. I had chosen to have the funeral on Tuesday in case some of Pony's teachers or classmates wanted to attend. But I doubted that would happen. Pony had always just hung around the gang.

Yawning, I got out of bed, grabbed the clothes I had laid out, and headed for the shower. It was going to be a long day and I had already had a long night with Soda insisting that we had to go to the hospital to get Pony after having some dream. I sighed as I thought about Soda. He wasalready a wreck. And I was worried that he'd really lose it once he saw Pony in the casket. I was worried I would lose it when I saw Pony in the casket. This day was not going to be easy.

Once I was showered and dressed, I went to the kitchen to fix breakfast. As I cooked eggs for me and Soda, I could hear him getting ready. Well, I heard the shower running. Usually, Soda would sing in the shower. But he wasn't singing today. Not that I blamed him. After a while, he emerged wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt. Very similar to what I was wearing.

"Hey little buddy." I said gently. "Breakfast is ready."

"I'm not hungry." Soda said softly as he sat at the table.

"Well, eat what you can." I told him. To be honest I wasn't that hungry myself. But I knew we had to eat.

Soda picked at his eggs. He didn't even put grape jelly on them, which showed how upset he was. He just stared at his plate, pushing the eggs around with his fork, and paused every so often to take a bite.

Not that I was much better. All I could think about was that later that afternoon, I'd be at the cemetary, saying good-bye to Pony for the last time. And I knew Soda was thinking about it too. He had to be.

"Soda, we'll get through this." I reminded him. I guess I was also reminding myself. After all, it hadn't been that long since our parents' funeral. Now Soda and I had to go through it again.

"Darry, do you think anyone besides Steve and Two-Bit will be at the funeral?" Soda asked suddenly.

I thought for a minute. Pony had been involved with track, but had never mentioned having friends outside of the gang. That is unless you counted Curly Shepherd.

"I don't know, Soda. I guess we'll just have to wait and see." I told him.

"I'd rather see Pony walk through the door." Soda mumbled as he got up to leave the room.

After he left, I sighed and put my head in my hands. Soda had just spoken my feelings exactly. I would give anything to have Pony back. Anything at all. But sadly, all I would ever have is memories.


	7. The Visitation

Soda's POV

It was around one in the afternoon when Darry and I arrived at the funeral home. The funeral was scheduled to start at three. So until then people could pay their last respects to Pony.

"I'm going to see Pony." Darry announced as if we were visiting him at summer camp instead of attending his funeral.

I followed. I really didn't want to see Ponyboy in the casket. But I didn't want to be left alone either, and neither Two-Bit or Steve were there yet.

"He looks good." Darry commented once we reached the casket.

I grabbed Darry's arm and forced myself to look at Ponyboy. He had on a white t-shirt and his favorite flannel shirt, which was blue. I knew he also had on a pair of jeans and a pair of Converse sneakers on. After all, I had watched Darry pick out the clothes. His hair was even greased and bleached blonde. Blonde!

"Darry," I choked. "Look at Pony's hair. Look at his tuff hair!"

"I know." Darry sighed. "I think he had it bleached up in Windrixville to disguise himself. It was already that way when I saw him at the hospital."

"Excuse me." A female voice behind us said. Darry and I turned to find the red haired girl who had helped us the previous week standing there. She looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Oh, hi." Darry mumbled.

I waved like a shy two year old.

"I'm sorry about your brother." The girl went on. "He was a nice boy. I'm sorry I couldn't get to know him better."

"Thank you." Darry said.

At that point, Steve and Two-Bit walked in. I just stood there not sure of what I was supposed to do. Fortunately, Steve joined me, putting his hand on my shoulder. That was when I broke down and sobbed. I was not ready to say good-bye to Pony. I wanted him to be alive.

The night before I had had a dream that was so real, I tried to get Darry to go to the hospital to pick up Ponyboy. In the dream, Pony was okay. Shaken up, but okay. I had hugged him in the dream. I wanted the dream to be as real as it seemed. I didn't want Pony to be gone. I didn't want to say good-bye.

"It'll be okay Soda." Steve told me.

"No, it won't." I insisted. "Pony shouldn't be in that casket. He should be walking home from school or to the movie house. But he should not be laying in a casket."

Darry joined us for a minute. "Steve, why don't you and Soda go outside and get some fresh air? I think it would be good for him."

Steve nodded. "Sure, Darry. Come on Soda, lets sit outside for a minute."

As Steve and I went outside, I noticed that people were arriving. Mostly other greasers like, Tim Shepherd and his gang, but I also recognized a few teachers from the high school. A few of them said they were sorry about Pony's passing. I tried to be polite but I just wanted to be with Steve. If Steve hadn't been there, I don't think I would have made it even though I was still messed up.

Two-Bit's POV

I watched as Soda and Steve went outside. I knew Soda was having a hard time with this. But I didn't know how hard. I decided to join Darry and see how things were going.

"Hey, Darry. How are you and Soda holding up?" I asked.

"I'm doing okay. It's hard not having Pony around. But I'll make it. Soda on hte other hand isn't dealing with it so well. Had some dream last night and when he woke up, he insisted that we had to go to the hospital and pick up Ponyboy. He was so sure that Pony was okay. It took me a while to get him to remember that Pony isn't with us anymore. Then, when he did remember, he cried and told me he wished the dream had been real." Darry answered.

I grinned sadly. "I wish his dream were real, too." I told Darry.

"Yeah." Darry sighed. "So do I. Unfortunately, it isn't. We still have to go through this."

"Well, I guess I'll go talk to some people." I said stepping away. Not that Darry noticed. Someone else was already talking to him. And I didn't have to go far to find someone to talk to either.

"Hey, Two-Bit!" It was Cherry. "I'm glad there's someone else here that I know. I was starting to feel a little silly standing there by myself."

"Well, I'm sure Darry and Soda are glad you came." I told her.

She grinned and shook her head. "They hardly know me. But I would have felt bad if I didn't come to say good-bye to Pony, you dig?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I dig."

Cherry and I stood and talked for a while. Saying hi to some people as they passed by. I even cracked a few jokes to lighten the mood a little. But for the most part, I felt as sad as everyone else who was there.

Darry's POV

I had intended to go outside to check on Soda after a few minutes, but after Two-Bit spoke with me, other people started lining up after seeing Pony to speak with me too. They all said how sorry they were about Pony. Some even commented that Soda didn't seem to be holding up so well. A few of my former teachers even said that they had been looking forward to having Pony in their class. It was a bit overwhelming.

As the time for the funeral got closer, I noticed that the place was packed. I honestly didn't think many people would show up. But, it turns out that Pony had touched a lot of lives in his fourteen years. I swallowed back some tears as I thought about how proud I was of him. He had been a good kid. Didn't use his head, but he was still good. It was still hard to believe that I was really saying good-bye to him. It just didn't seem real. If only Soda's dream had been real, then, we wouldn't have to go through this.


	8. The Funeral

Darry's POV

At three, the funeral director came up to me. "It's time for the funeral to begin. You and your brother can pay your last respects before I close the casket."

I nodded as I motioned for Soda to join me. When he reached me, I could see him trembling a little. "Are you ready for this, little buddy?"

"No." Soda replied. "But I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

I put my arm around his shoulders. "No, I guess not."

We stood in front of the casket for a few moments, just looking at Ponyboy. I felt tears flow down my cheeks and could hear Soda silently sobbing next to me. Behind us, more people were crying and there was the occassional sound of someone blowing their nose. But at that moment, it was just about me, Soda, and Pony. After this moment, Soda and I would never see Ponyboy again. I wanted it to last as long as possible. And I knew Soda felt the same way.

"Well," I said after a few minutes. "I guess this is it. Good-bye Pony. I'm proud of you, little buddy. Say hi to mom and dad for us."

Soda sobbed some more, then reached in the casket and pushed Pony's hair back. "We'll miss you, Pony. Things will never be the same without you."

Soda and I went to sit down then and as we did, the funeral director closed the casket. As soon as the casket closed, Soda's sobbing got louder. I kept my arm around him and noticed Steve and Two-Bit as they silently joined us.

Soda's POV

I was kind of glad when Steve and Two-Bit sat with me and Darry. They were only our friends but they were also family. Steve put his arm around me just like Darry did. It was nice having them there. But it didn't make it any easier. I couldn't stop bawling. When the funeral director closed the casket and Pony disappeared from view, I just lost it. I just couldn't take seeing the closed casket.

Darry leaned over and whispered, "Soda, it'll be okay. We'll get through this."

All I could do was sob even harder. Darry and Steve had been telling me that for the past few days. But, it was so hard for me to believe them. With Pony gone, I felt like my world was torn apart.

Steve's POV

I listened as the funeral director led the service. The whole time I was kept my arm around Soda. We had been best friends since grade school. But I had never seen him this upset. Not even after Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had passed. And he had been pretty upset then.

"Would anyone like to say a few words about Pony before we close?" The funeral director was asking.

Slowly, people started to come forward to share how Pony had touched their lives.. Each story was touching. And soon, I found myself crying just as hard as Soda was. The last person to go up was Darry.

"First of all," Darry was saying, "I want to thank all of you for coming. It means so much to me to know that Pony touched so many lives during his fourteen years. I'm sure my brother, Sodapop would agree. Pony was a good kid. I often yelled at him for not using his head, but that's because I could see the potential that he held. He was one of those kids who would share their dreams with you and you just knew that those dreams would come true. He loved being a greaser, yet, he was so different from them. He dreamt of going to college someday. His biggest dream was to become a famous author one day and to share his experiences with others. Not many greasers would want to do something like that. But, Pony, like his name was one of a kind. I'll miss having him around."

Once he finished speaking, Darry returned to his seat. But he didn't have to sit for long. The funeral director said a few more words, then everyone got up to head to the cemetary. Which was about a ten minute drive from the church.

Darry's POV

A half hour or so later, we were at the cemetary. Soda had stared back at the line of cars following us the entire way there. We would later find out that close to sixty cars had been in the funeral procession. It amazed me to see how many people had been touched by Pony.

At the cemetary, I put my arm around Soda again and noticed Steve doing the same thing. Two-Bit looked uncomfortable, so I put my other arm around him as well to include him. Together, the four of us stood there as the funeral director said a few more words before the casket was slowly lowered into the ground.

"No!" Soda cried. "This can't be happening!"

"Shh, Soda, it's okay." I soothed.

With that Soda turned and buried his head in my shoulder. "I want Pony to come back, Darry. He should be here with us. Well, you know what I mean. I can't take this! I want things to be like they were. I don't want Pony to be gone."

I didn't know what to say. And somehow, I don't think anything I could have said would have made Soda feel better. So, I just held him and let him cry as people slowly started to leave to go back to their normal lives while Soda and I had to go home to a life that was no longer normal. But before we left, I took a bunch of flowers that had been on Pony's casket and placed them on our parent's grave.


	9. The Reunion

Author's note: I know this chapter may sound like it's the last one, but it's not. There's more to the story. Hopefully, in the end this story will work out the way I want it to.

Soda's POV

I had been sleeping soundly on the couch when the phone woke me up. Darry usually keeps the volume up on the phone because we all can get pretty loud. But in a quiet house, the sound of the phone startled me. Especially since I had just been sleeping.

"Hello?" Darry answered the phone. He looked at me expectantly as I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Yes, this is Darrel Curtis Jr."

I stood up and walked over to where Darry stood. I wanted to know if it was about Pony and knew that Darry was wondering the same thing as he listened to the person on the other line.

After a minute Darry hung and turned to me. A look of relief on his face. "Soda, get in the truck. They've found Ponyboy and we need to pick him up at the hospital."

Darry didn't have to ask me twice. In fact, I ran to the truck and yelled for him to hurry up. After a week, Pony was finally home. Well, sort of. I couldn't wait to see him.

Darry's POV

Soda talked excitedly all the way to the hospital. But I was too busy thinking to pay attention. I knew that even though Johnny killed the soc, I was the one who had hit Ponyboy, and if I hadn't hit him, he wouldn't have ran out of the house and the events that followed wouldn't have happened. I was looking forward to being reunited with my youngest brother, but at the same time, I was scared. I didn't know how he would respond to me after I had hit him.

"Darry, are you listening to me?" Soda asked. He was looking at me with a serious expression on his face.

"Sorry little buddy. I was just thinking." I appologized.

"About Pony?" Soda asked.

"Yeah." I admitted.

"Me too. Do you think he'll be just as excited to see us as we are to see him?" Soda asked.

I had to grin. "I hope so."

The rest of the ride was quiet. I guess Soda was thinking about Pony, too. Neither one of us knew what to expect when we arrived at the hospital. All I knew was that there had been some fire at a church, and I didn't want to tell Soda because I didn't want him to worry. Especially since I didn't know if Pony was hurt or not.

Finally, I pulled into the parking lot at the hospital and I followed Soda inside. He barely stopped when I asked a nurse where our brother was. By the time she said that Pony was in the waiting room, Soda was already half way there.

"Soda, wait up!" I called after him.

"Hurry up, slow poke!" Soda replied. He walked around a corner and through a pair of doors.

Soda's POV

As soon as I walked through the doors, I saw Ponyboy running towards me. Before I knew it, I was hugging him and swinging him around.

"Oh, Pony. Look at your tuff hair!" Was all I could say as I pushed back his hair which was now blonde. I wanted to say more, but Pony took a step back and was looking at Darry.

I knew he was thinking about how Darry had hit him. He had to have been. But then, his expression changed and it was then that I saw that Darry was crying. Darry never cries. I've been known to cry. Ponyboy has been known to cry. But not Darry. He was supposed to be the strong one. And now, I was seeing a side of him that I wasn't aware of.

Darry's POV

I could see my brothers both staring at me as tears flowed down my cheeks. I quickly turned away, embarrassed. But then I heard Ponyboy scream my name and before I knew it, he was hugging me.

"Darry, I'm sorry." Was all he said.

I hugged him back, and told him , "Pony, I thought that we had lost you. Like we did mom and dad."

With that, Soda joined in the hug. I think all three of us had an unspoken fear of losing each other. Now, we were together again and I hoped that it would stay that way.


	10. The Rumble

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews. I realize that the story may be a little confusing now, but hopefully in the end it'll make a little more sense.

Soda's POV

The next night, I was playing poker with Steve while Ponyboy got ready for the rumble. Well, he really wasn't getting ready, he was staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Something he's been doing a lot lately.

"Hey Soda, when did you start shaving?" Pony asked glancing at me through his reflection.

"When I was fifteen." I replied.

"When did Darry?" Pony studied his face some more.

"When he was thirteen." I told him. "Why, are you planning on growing a beard for the rumble?"

Pony walked out of the bathroom and swatted my head. "Oh, you're funny."

He went on to say that my remarks should be sent to Reader's Digest. I just laughed and cotinued to play poker with Steve.

Darry's POV

I had been watching Pony and he did not look well at all. I knew he had lost weight. But he looked sick. And, I didn't like the idea of him fighting in the rumble if he was sick.

"Pony, maybe you ought to stay out of this rumble." I told him, tucking in my black shirt

"Why?" Pony asked. "I always came through before, haven't I?"

I grinned and ruffled his hair. "Yeah. You're a tough kid. But you don't look so well. You seem tense."

I didn't mention that he looked like he was sick.

Soda joined us and put an arm around Ponyboy's shoulders. "Come on Darry, everyone is tense before a rumble. Let him fight. A little skin won't hurt him, will it?"

Pony gave Soda a grateful grin before turning back to me. "Come on Darry, if it were knives or chains it would be different. I'll grab hold of a little one."

I sighed. I really didn't like the idea of him fighting in the rumble. But we needed every person we could get. And since Soda was sticking up for him, I knew I was in a losing battle. So, against my better judgement, I agreed to let him fight in the rumble.

With that, we all left for the vacant lot. Two-Bit had arrived by then. On the way there, I gave Soda and Pony instructions to leave if the fuzz showed up. I also told Pony to stay close to me.

Soda's POV

I knew Darry wasn't happy about Ponyboy being in the rumble. I mean the kid did look sick, but I didn't think anything of it. Besides, if something were to happen, Darry or I would help him. No big deal.

Soon, the rumble had started and everyone was fighting with all they had. I love rumbles, there's an unbelievable rush of energy that comes when you're in a rumble. I jumped on a soc and started slugging him in the chest. When I finished with him, I quickly looked for another soc to fight. And it didn't take long.

As soon as I got up to my feet after pounding on the one soc, I saw another soc kick Pony in the head. Pony fell to the ground and I ran and lept on the soc. I was furious. No one kicks my younger brother in the head and gets away with it. I was unaware of my surroundings as I slugged the soc who had kicked Ponyboy. But, soon I heard Two-Bit whooping like an Indian and I glanced up to see the other socs running towards their cars. I gave the soc I had been fighting a good kick in the shin before I let him go. I watched as he slowly limped away.

I turned to check on Ponyboy, but ended up sitting with Steve instead who had cracked a few ribs. When I went to check on Pony, he was gone. Two-Bit said something about Pony going to the hospital with Dally to see Johnny. So, I just helped Steve up and those of us who were there all went to my house. Steve and I had talked earlier about having a party after the rumble, but now we didn't feel like partying. We just wanted to sit down and relax.


	11. Arguing and The Race Home

Darry's POV

Pony had been home for a few weeks. He was back in school and close to failing a few of his classes. Something I wasn't to happy about. He was a smart kid and here he was getting Ds and Fs. It was as if he had stopped caring about his school work. And it frustrated me. I wanted to see him get a good education. I wanted him to go to college.

"Pony, have you started your theme for english?" I asked during dinner.

"Umm..." Pony mumbled around a mouth full of food.

"I'll take that as a no." I told him. "Come on Pony, can't you use your head? If you don't do your school work, you fail. Is that what you want?"

Pony just gave me an even stare. He used to look at the floor when I'd yell at him. But lately, he was talking back at me. "What's the big deal about school? I'll probably have a job after I get out of school anyway. Besides, look at Soda, he has a job and is doing okay. And he dropped out! So lay off!"

I shook my head. "If you think you're dropping out, you're wrong. Pony, you're a smart kid. You could win scholarships and we could put you through college. You could make something of yourself. But instead, you're choosing to quit. And if you don't like how I run things in this house, you can pack your things and leave."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Pony asked. He looked at Soda who had been quietly picking at his potatatoes which for once weren't dyed some weird color. "Well, it's not so easy, is it Soda?"

Soda looked pained. "Oh, guys why can't you..." He jumped up and ran out of the house before Pony or I could say anything. He had dropped an envelope on the table before he ran out.

"It's the letter he wrote to Sandy." I said to Ponyboy. "Returned and unopened." I went on to explain why Sandy had left.

"You don't have to draw me a picture." Pony mumbled.

I sighed. "Come on, let's go get him."

Soda's POV

I had made it to the park before Pony caught up with me. I tried to dodge him, but he tackled me and we both fell to the ground gasping for air. "You should have went out for football instead of track."

By then, Darry was sitting on the ground next to us.

"Where did you think you were going?" Pony asked.

"I can't stand to hear you two fight. And it's like I'm the middle man in a game of tug o' war. You dig?" I looked at them before continuing. " I can't take sides. It'd be easier if I could. But, I see both sides."

I went on to tell them what I saw in each side of their argument. I even told them that we should be able to stick together. After all, we're all we had left.

"Please, don't fight anymore." I said when I finished.

Darry and Pony both looked guilty. Darry was the first to speak. "Okay little buddy. Hey, Pony, no more fights, okay?"

"Okay." Pony agreed. Then, he grinned. "I'll race you guys home."

The three of us stood up and ran towards our house. But it was more like we were running together instead of having a race. I think that's how we all wanted it. But as we ran, Pony seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving me and Darry to run home by ourselves.


	12. Waking Up To Reality

Soda's POV

I woke up late on a Saturday afternoon, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I had taken a nap after I got home from work. And just like every day for the past few weeks, I had dreamt about Pony. I still didn't like the idea of him being gone. The house seemed so empty without him.

When I first started having the dreams, they seemed so real. I wished I could have hugged Pony at the hospital, swinging him around. I wished he had been able to fight in the rumble, without the kick in the head, of course. I also wished that the three of us had raced home and that all three of us had made it home. But it was all a dream. Just like when I dreamed about the three of us racing home, Pony has vanished from our lives. He's no longer with us except for in our memories and dreams.

I stood up from my bed and walked to the living room where Darry sat reading the news paper. He looked up when he saw me. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded. Darry knew about the dreams and always asked how I slept. Especially if I wasn't crying when I woke up.

"Darry, do you need the truck?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nope. Are you going out?"

"Yeah." I told him. "I shouldn't be too long."

"Okay. Be careful." Darry tells me that a lot now. Not that I blamed him. We only had each other.

Once I was in the truck, I drove to the cemetary. It was about a fifteen minute drive from the house. At the cemetary, I stood at my parents' grave for a few minutes. Then, I stood at Pony's.

"Hey, Pony." I said. "I sure do miss you. Darry misses you, too. Wish you were here with us. It's just not the same without you. I've been dreaming about you. It's almost as if you're still here. But, it's just a dream. I can't bring you back. I guess I should go now. Say hi to Dally and Johnny for me. "

When I finished, I turned and went back to the truck. But I didn't go home. Instead, I went to the park near my house and watched the sunset from the top of the jungle gym. Pony had always enjoyed watching sunsets and since his death, I've started to enjoy watching them myself. Maybe it's because I can almost feel him sitting next to me as I watch the sun go down in a mix of colors.


End file.
